


One Way Ticket to Sandman: A Voltron Fanfic

by Caitaganote



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Chef Hunk (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Dreams, Eventual Romance, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), I Ship It, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Klance Week, Klance Week 2017, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), My First Work in This Fandom, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Rebellion, Relationship(s), Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Shallura Week, Shipping, Teenage Rebellion, Wet Dream, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-18 12:03:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11873976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitaganote/pseuds/Caitaganote
Summary: While Shiro proved himself to be totally worthy of the Black Lion, the threat of Zarkon still looms over the castle. However, the four youngest Paladins of Voltron have different ideas on how to pass the time before an impending battle. And that's doing what any other teenager who's faced with responsibilities inevitably does . . . Skip class to go on an adventure.





	1. Boredom

**Author's Note:**

> This FanFic takes place in the middle/end-ish portion of season two, after Shiro fights Zarkon in the celestial realm. So, some spoilers, I guess.

It wasn't uncommon for all five Paladins, including Allura and Coran, to meet at the ship's main control deck. Some days were longer than others, and this day just happened to be the longest. 

"Are you sure it's safe for the ship to just, aimlessly continue course?" Shiro asked. He was standing alert at the head of the ship. "When will the Teledov be fully operational again?"

Shiro had asked Allura, but Coran interrupted, stroking his large mustache. "I already told you that I'm working on it. Scaltrite crystals don't magically dance into place, you know."

"Then why are you up here, instead of down in the Teledov chambers?"

Coran closed his eyes. "I'm taking a break, all right? We've been awake for almost a quintant."

"Yeah, I'm bored," Lance piped. 

Keith slouched in his chair, moving only to tuck his legs into his body and rest his chin on his knee. "I'm tired," he mumbled. 

Hunk was fast asleep, snoring on the ground. 

Shiro sighed. "I guess they should probably disband and get some sleep," he said. His eyes slid over the bodies of his near-death friends. 

Allura placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "You should take a break as well. Your diligence is appreciated, but I can keep watch by myself. I've got a feeling that Zarkon won't find us within the next few vargas. Your fight with him in the astral plane did more than establish you as the one true Paladin of the Black Lion. It separated Zarkon's fleet from our trail. You've given all of us time to rest and rejuvenate our strength."

"Speaking of rejuvenate—" Coran interrupted. "I think I'm starting to communicate with the mice." He squatted down on the floor, putting two gloved fingers to his temple. 

Allura rested her hands on her hips. "What does that have to do with rejuvenation?"

"I'm trying to see if they'll give me a back massage." Coran's face twisted in concentration. 

Shiro crossed his arms and shook his head. "Yep, I think it's time for a rest."

"FINALLY." Lance got up from his seat, arms wobbling at his sides and shoulders sagging. He made his way to the exit. "I'm going to bed."

"Me too," said Keith, following behind the Blue Paladin. 

Hunk was still passed out, and upon searching for the last Paladin, Allura found her slumped over her computer desk. 

Shiro sighed. "I'll take Pidge to her room. Coran, can you find a tarp or a blanket for Hunk? I think we'll have to leave him here for the time being."

"On it!" Coran darted to the nearest supply closet, tossing various unwanted items aside. 

"Allura, are you sure you're okay with keeping watch by yourself?" 

Allura nodded. There were dark circles under her eyes, but determination intermingled between the flecks of pink and blue in her irises. "I'll be fine."

Shiro bent down to pick up Pidge. She was lighter than he'd anticipated. "Good." He offered Allura a tired smile. 

 

The next morning, six of the seven Voltron members all sat in the main deck. Hunk was still asleep on the floor with an old curtain draped over his body. Lance and Keith both had their heads down over their knees. Allura sat on her control station, and Coran sat next to her, obnoxiously sipping on a glass of Nunvill.

"Are we getting anywhere on the Teledov?" Shiro asked. 

Coran stopped sipping for a second. "Oh! Yes. Definitely." He averted his eyes. 

"Coran . . ." 

"I'm working really hard! Really. I'm just . . . Taking a small beverage break." 

Shiro seemed visibly irritated, but he released it with a sigh. "Fine." 

With a softer voice, Allura piped up. "I'm sure Coran will have it finished first thing tomorrow morning. Right, Coran?"

"Of course! Of course." Coran bit his lip. "But you should really get some sleep, princess. I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." Allura's voice took on an edge. She brushed a loose strand of colorless hair from her face. 

Shiro held back a retort. Even he knew the Princess was looking a lot more worn than usual. But with Coran's hesitancy to work on the Teledov, an opportunity for free time would be a gift to everybody. 

"All right," said Shiro. "Let's all eat before we start some training."

Lance groaned, but Hunk woke up with a snort. 

"Food?" Hunk looked around at his placement on the floor. "Wait. What'd I miss?" 

 

In the kitchen, Hunk served up some goo while Keith and Lance sat at the bar. 

"Hey, where's Pidge?" Keith asked. 

Lance shrugged. "Still asleep? Lucky." He groaned. "Hey, add a little extra pepper to my goo, would you?" 

Hunk sprinkled a flourish of dark spice onto a plate of goo. "You know, I'm not really sure if this is pepper or not." He sniffed it and sneezed. 

"Whatever, just dish it out. I need a little spice to wake me up." 

Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance. "You okay?"

Lance groaned. "It's Shiro. He's, like, obsessed with defeating Zarkon!"

Keith and Hunk stopped doing whatever they were doing to stare at Lance. 

Hunk was first to break the silence. "You mean, the reincarnation off evil and oppression? That Zarkon? Cause . . . Don't we all wanna beat him?"

"Sure." Lance sighed dramatically. "I just want to take a little break here or there. Like Coran. Maybe head to another space mall."

"Coran's only taking a break because he's worried about Allura."

It was Hunk and Lance's turn to stare at Keith. 

Keith's face flushed under the scrutiny. "What?"

"How'd you know that?" Lance asked. 

Keith brushed it off, cheeks still red. "I don't know. A women's intuition?"

"Makes sense." Hunk handed a plate to both Lance and Keith. He then continued to shoot goo straight into his mouth from the dispenser. Mouth full, he gargled, "But what do you think we should do about it?"

Lance frowned. He spooned his space food. "Let's skip class." 

"What?" Hunk choked, eyes wide. 

A small smile formed at Keith's mouth. "I'm impressed. I didn't think the Garrison's best cargo pilot was a little bit of a delinquent."

"Hey! Fighter pilot." Lance chewed and glared. "But yes. I do happen to be a part-time delinquent."

"Since when?" Hunk asked. 

"I got us out of the Garrison and lead us straight to Voltron, right?" 

Keith scoffed. "With my help."

That shut Lance up. "Whatever. I'm taking a shuttle to the nearest planet."

Hunk choked again. "We're leaving the ship?" 

"I think the nearest habitable planet is Serenus. I heard Coran and Allura talking about it earlier," said Keith. 

Lance gave Keith a quizzical look. "When are you NOT spying on us?"

"I'm not—” Keith blushed. "We all get bored, okay?"

"All right, then what's my favorite color?" Lance asked. 

The room fell silent. Keith frowned. ". . . Blue?"

"So you were spying!" 

"Who's spying?" Pidge stepped into the room in her robe. Her blonde hair was all messed up, and she rubbed tiredly at her cheek. 

Lance squinted. "Keith's a spy."

"Am not!"

Hunk filled a plate with goo, and handed it to Pidge, who was clearly only listening with 40% of her attention. 

"Okay," she said. "Thanks, Hunk."

"No prob. But hey, wanna sneak out with Lance, Keith, and me to Serenus?"

Lance and Keith's bickering stopped abruptly. "Hunk!" they shouted in unison. 

"What?" 

Pidge's eyes got wide. "Leave the ship?" 

"Please don't tell Shiro." Lance pushed away from his seat and fell to his knees. "He'll cut off my arm and replace it with a robot one."

Pidge looked back and forth from Lance to the others. "Wait, why do you want to go to Serenus? It's just a stop for cargo ships to make to refuel and recharge."

"Anywhere. I'll go anywhere. I just want to get off this ship." Lance's eyes watered with hope. 

Keith shrugged. "I don't mind going."

"Yeah. I guess I could try and find some spare parts for the castle," said Hunk. "At least then our disappearance would be helpful, in some way." 

Lance stared pleadingly at Pidge. 

Pidge stared back with less enthusiasm. "I guess I wouldn't mind coming along. The Teledov is all fixed, so Coran doesn't need my help anymore."

"Yes!" Lance leapt into the air to pull Pidge into a hug. Pidge's cheeks went red as she struggled to keep her robe in place and covering valuable parts. 

Lance set her down abruptly. Her glasses jostled off her face. 

"Let's go!" Lance pointed at the door. 

"Hush! You'll alert the whole ship if you aren't careful." Keith crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Besides, Pidge has to put some clothes on."

"Yeah." Pidge fixed her glasses. "Please."


	2. Escape

A little bit later, Keith was busy packing a few essentials. He made sure that his blade was tucked away on his person. 

"Keith." Shiro appeared at the door. 

It took all of Keith's concentration to keep from jumping. "Shiro! I didn't see you there."

"Are you heading down to the training deck?"

"Ah, yes. I was just going to do a little combat training."

Shiro smiled. "I'll join you."

"Oh! Well, I was thinking about . . ." Keith bit his lip. "You know, working a little on my own, maybe? To practice . . . Independence?" He rubbed the back of his neck. 

Shiro nodded, but Keith could tell that his words had hurt the Black Paladin. He wanted desperately to fix the wound. A new wave of shame washed over him at the thought of Shiro noticing their disappearance in not too long. 

Shiro's initial smile faded. "Okay, that sounds very noble of you. There's always room for more . . . Independence practice."

"Sure, sure." Keith silently kicked himself. Independence training? What was he saying?

Shiro stood there for a moment longer before straightening up. "Well, I'm going to check in on Coran. See if he made any improvements on the Teledov in the last hour or so."

He didn't know. 

"Okay." Keith attempted a smile. 

Shiro turned to leave, but Keith stopped him. 

"Shiro? Maybe let off on Coran for a bit. I'm sure he's doing his best. And all of us need a break."

"Yeah." Shiro's dark eyes clouded a little. "You're probably right."

 

Keith met the rest of the group last at the shuttle station. 

"Finally!" Lance groaned. He then threw Keith a smile. "Wanna play pilot?"

"Sure."

"Shotgun!" Pidge yelled. 

Hunk and Lance jumped. They immediately started bickering. Keith focused on readjusting the pack on his back as he hopped into the shuttle. 

Eventually, Pidge slid in next to him. She was beaming. 

"I'm actually quite excited to see this planet. They say that every ship in the galaxy has visited Serenus at one point in their journey. It's one of the most popular ship-hubs of all time." Pidge's eyes sparkled. 

Keith flicked a few switches to get the pod started. "Yeah, I'm sure it'll be a spectacle."

"I also took the liberty to pack us a couple communicators, because we aren't in full Paladin armor."

"Great."

"Do you think Shiro will be mad?"

Her last question sent another bolt of uncertainty through Keith's veins. As the ship rose into the air and the station doors started to open, Keith wondered the same thing. 

"I don't know. He can't be too mad." 

Pidge brought her legs up to her chest. "I'm not regretting this; I'm just a little worried. Shiro's anger is a possibility."

Keith attempted a smile. "Have you ever seen that man mad?"

Pidge's green eyes lit up again. "Point taken."

"Hey, let's speed it up! I'm super cramped back here," Lance interrupted.

A smaller, but more genuine smile slipped over Keith's face. "All right, we're set for take-off."

The ship sailed through the pod-bay doors and straight into open space. Once there, Keith kicked the engines up a notch, rocketing east upon Pidge's instruction. He watched until the castle disappeared behind him.

"We'll meet the atmosphere of Serenus within a few doboshes," Pidge said. "You'll want to send out a hailing signal for land. Since we aren't in the logs, they'll send us to the closed sector. We'll probably have to let a couple guards inspect our shuttle."

Keith nodded. "How long do expect we'll be allowed to poke around here before Shiro tracks us down?"

"Figuring as I brought along a tracking scrambler, I'd say maybe an hour or two."

"You're a genius, Pidge."

 

The first initial observance to be made about Serenus was the dull appearance of planet. It was almost entirely the color of charcoal, save for some patches of blue ocean. Gray clouds surrounded the planet, and it looked as if it was built entirely of factories.

Keith met the atmosphere with plenty of complaints from the back of the ship. 

"If you guys are going to be so miserable, I'm turning around," Keith said. 

Lance replied, "Wait, wait! It's fine. Don't turn around. Just hurry it up.”

"On it." Keith waited for Pidge's signal to hail a landing sector. Smoke and fog briefly obscured his vision until the surface of the planet was revealed. Not surprisingly, it looked exactly as it had from space—dull gray. The dark clouds added to the never-ending gloominess. There wasn't a single tree or blade of grass in site. Large cities surrounded by even larger factories rose to the sky, pumping out mass amounts of smoke and carbon dioxide. 

"Shuttle Vessel 11283, follow signs into assisted landing. Prepare for boarding and inspection."

"They're gonna board our ship?" Lance asked. 

Keith grit his teeth. His pulse was racing. "Just as a precaution."

"What if they recognize us?" Hunk asked.

Pidge answered for Keith. "We're bound to run into someone who recognizes us eventually," she said.

Hunk looked around the ship frantically. "Isn't that a bad thing?"

"We'll be fine," said Keith. "Just stay calm. We're supposed to be here, right?"

A few minutes later, Keith followed the glowing signs to a docking station. It was incredibly crowded. Various ships, many a lot larger than the shuttle, traveled from different directions and at different speeds, all heading for the same sector. A few Serenus guards flagged the shuttle. Keith took her in easy, landing softly. 

"Let me handle this," Pidge murmured. 

Keith nodded before releasing the top of the shuttle. He and Pidge remained inside the vehicle. 

One of the guards approached. He was clearly not human, as the man had four arms and a blue-ish tint to his skin. "State your names and purpose," he said. 

Pidge spoke over Keith. "This is Commander Kith Gunderson, and I'm his tech, Matt Hunk. We've got a couple rookie pilots in the back, here to visit Serenus for the first time. We'd just like to show them around."

The guard checked his tablet. "It doesn't look like your ID is pulling up a reservation."

Pidge's smile cracked. "Yes, we meant to call in, but we've had some trouble with our intercoms lately. I think the translator is shot, which is the other reason we're here."

"And this is your main vessel?" 

A bead of sweat formed at Keith's forehead.

"Yes!" Pidge fixed her glasses. "A little small, but so is our academy. We're just trying to do our duty and train as many pilots as we can. With the impeding galactic influences from foreign entities and a sharp decrease in cultural diversity, we believe that it's in our best interest to visit the most abundantly populated and—"

"Enough! Commander Gunderson, we just need to search the back of your vessel for any violations of the Serenus Code of Safety Regulations."

Keith's throat was dry. "Certainly."

As the two guards searched the back, Keith and Pidge held their breaths. Finally, after a long minute and a half, the guards returned. 

"You've been granted entrance. Your stay cannot exceed 48 vargas." 

Keith nodded. "Of course." The top of the shuttle fell back into place, and he powered the machine up to follow signals to a new docking station. "Nice work back there, Pidge."

She smiled and sighed as they regained flight. "Thanks. I had to resort to my ‘galactic diversity’ spiel in order to get though."

"It always works." Keith flew into the final docking station. It was still heavily guarded, but they weren't met with any further inspections. Finally, Keith was able to land the shuttle for good. 

Lance hopped out first. He stretched his back, bones popping and cracking. "Man, I thought we'd never get in."

Hunk climbed out less gracefully. "Yeah, nice work trying to bore the guards to death, Pidge."

"Thanks," Pidge mumbled. 

The four of them stepped out from under the terminal, and light flooded into view. Lance cupped his eyes, gazing straight up at the sky. Hundreds of ships whizzed back and forth, causing gusts of wind to tear through the lower streets. Smaller, more compact shuttles drove like floating cars, honking and beeping at other drivers. Buildings rose up taller than the castle. 

"Whoa," said Hunk, first.

Keith couldn't believe his eyes either.

"Anyone else getting a futuristic New York vibe?" Pidge asked. 

Hunk perked up. "Oh wow, do you think they have street venders?"

"Or tech shops?" Pidge offered.

"I wanna visit a strip club!" Lance slid out, facing the group with one hand on his bony hip and the other flipping his short brown locks. 

Keith frowned. "I don't think we should split up."

"Awh, come on!" Lance got down on his knees again, this time in front of Keith. "Please?"

Keith's cheeks went pink. "Wherever we go, we're sticking together."

Pidge kicked Lance in the ass, sending him sprawling forward. "You heard him. We're sticking together. And I'm not visiting any strip club."

Lance cried pitifully all the way to the inner-city.

 

"Everything is so . . . Ugly," Lance commented, squinting his eyes at the various vessels that flew by.

"It's pure engineering," said Pidge. "It's the inner workings of the machines that are beautiful."

Hunk looked around and shrugged. "I don't know. A couple hot-rod flame designs couldn't hurt."

"See?" Lance smiled. "Hunk gets it."

"Enough, let's just try and get something to eat." Keith walked a little ways behind the other Paladins, thoughts lost on the passing vehicles and their various pilots. Being out in the open and surrounded by strangers had Keith's instincts on red alert. His whole body was riddled with tension. 

Lance slowed down to match Keith's pace. "You know," he started. "This whole space adventure would be a lot more fun if you were enjoying yourself."

"I'm not finding us an alien strip club, Lance."

Lance's cheeks went red. "That's not . . . Never mind."

The group was silent until Hunk spotted a nearby street vender. He had to shout to be heard above the traffic. "Check it out! Street food!"

The four of them took a spot in line. A couple unfamiliar aliens with long noses and multiple eyes were busy ordering in a strange language. Pidge pushed up her glasses as she struggled to read the sign atop the vender. There were multiple translations of one unidentifiable message.

"It says they only understand popular languages from the eastern quadrant of the galaxy," said Keith.

Pidge looked wide-eyed at the Red Paladin. "How'd you know that?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable by the attention, Keith shrugged. "One of the translations makes sense. I don't know why."

"Well, then we have an issue. Our solar system is a part of the eastern/southern quadrant."

The long-nosed aliens from before took their leave. It was the Paladins' turn in line. 

Lance made his way to the front. "Four of whatever is good, please." He rifled his hand through his pocket. His tanned face went white as a sheet. "Wait, guys." He turned around to face the group. "I'm broke."

The man working the vender spoke in a deep gargle. 

Keith growled. He shook his hands at the man, and attempted to get out of line, but the man pointed a rusty ladle at the four of them. He spoke in hurried grumbles. 

"What's he saying?" Lance asked. 

Pidge grabbed Lance and Hunk's sleeves, looking back at the line that was forming behind them. "It's time to go."

"Wait!" Someone from the back of the line raced to the front. It was a small looking, feminine-creature, with large, bug-like blue eyes and tiny fluorescent wings at its back. 

Keith shook his head. "We're leaving."

The little alien stopped the group. "Wait, I speak many tongues. Is your group hungry? I'd be willing to pay for your guys' snacks, if you'd like." 

"I'm sorry, but we were just leav—" 

"Yes!" Hunk interrupted the Red Paladin. "We'd appreciate that."

A couple minutes later, the gang was out of line, and all hooked up with a foreign kabob of some sort. The little alien followed them out.

"I'm Amir," she said. "I'm an explorer. You guys are the Paladins of Voltron, right?"

"You know us?" Lance bit down on his kabob, chewing loudly. 

"Know you? I love you guys! I know some Bulmerans that are obsessed with Voltron, the Legendary Defender of the Universe." Amir’s eyes watered. 

Keith bit into the kabob. It had a strange, salty and sweet flavor. "You know the Bulmera?"

"I know lots of people." Amir winked. "It's a part of my job as an explorer."

Pidge offered her kabob to Hunk. "I didn’t know there were any Bulmeras nearby. Do you have a big ship? Travel between solar systems is hard to accomplish on a smaller vessel."

Amir laughed. It was a tinkling sound. "A ship? Of course not. Just a secret between you and me, I've sort of mastered astral reality teleportation."

"What?" All four Paladins asked in unison. 

An embarrassed smile slipped over Amir's green face. She had white hair tightly bound to the back of her head. "I've actually got a small pad just around the next sector. I run an astral-traveling business, you see."

Lance's jaw dropped. "You mean, you can teleport people ANYWHERE?"

"Anywhere your mind can imagine. I can also show you some new places to imagine, if you'd like."

Lance got a faraway look in his eyes. "Like . . . Earth?"

"I said anywhere, didn't I?"

Keith interjected. "Lance, we don't have any money. As tempting as it sounds, we can't afford it."

"But—"

Amir laughed. "For the four Paladins of the mighty Voltron? I'd give you each a free trip, but for one varga only."

Keith frowned. "Why would you do that?"

"I love you guys! You're like, my heroes." Amir's eyes glazed over. "It'd be an honor."

Hunk and Lance both looked at Keith. Pidge stared at the ground. 

"You mean," she started. "You can send us anywhere? Present and . . . Past?"

Amir grinned and winked. "Anywhere your subconscious can visualize."

Pidge looked up at Keith. They were all looking to him for an affirmation. 

Sighing, Keith ran a hand through his dark hair. His chest was tight with the fact that he had to make the final decision. But at that point, he'd say anything to divert attention from himself. "Fine. Only if we do it and get out. We don't have much time to dally here anymore." 

"Yes!" Lance shot his fist in the air. "Let's do it!" 

"I’m so happy! Please, follow me." Amir lead the group, hovering above the ground as her wings fluttered speedily. 

Keith followed in the back again. Hunk, Pidge, and Lance were all gushing about where they wanted to go. But as Keith looked up at the cloudy sky, all he could think about was going back to the ship.


	3. Contemplation

Back in the ship, Shiro paced about the main deck. "They left."

Coran sipped at another Nunvill. "Suppose they're in the training level, getting their team spirit on." 

"There's a shuttle and four Paladins missing."

Coran gulped. "You think they're on their way back?"

With a growl, Shiro stopped pacing. He clutched both hands behind his back, eyes dark and busy. He was retracing steps. 

"Coran?" Allura asked. "Try doing a test run of the Teledov."

Shiro interrupted them. "We're not making a jump. Not without the others."

"Of course not." Allura was wearing her familiar pink and blue suit, hair tied up at her head. She stood a few feet from Shiro with her hands clasped together. "Coran? The Teledov."

"Yes, yes, princess." He grumbled something under his mustache, but it went unheard. The mice looked back and forth between the two Alteans, before taking off after Coran. The deck went silent. 

"We have to find them."

Allura took a couple tiny steps forward. "Shiro, I'm sure they'll be back."

"Why can't we contact them?"

"Their communications are scrambled. But I'm working on deciphering the gibberish."

Shiro leaned against the nearest desk station. "This is all my fault. I pushed them too hard."

Scooting even closer so as to put a hand on Shiro's shoulder, Allura tried to smile. "No, of course not. They're just, trying to rebel a little bit. It's normal for human teenagers. And Altean ones." Allura briefly thought back to Coran, stuck in the time-loop.

"You aren't worried?"

"We know the location of the pod. They're on Serenus. Without clearance, they'll only be permitted to stay for a quintant or two."

"That's too long. Zarkon could—" Shiro stopped as Allura's hand fell on his. 

"I believe in all five of you Paladins. You would know better than anyone, Shiro. Zarkon is far away from us right now."

Shiro looked away at the ground, eyes narrowing in hurt. "I can't stop thinking about all the things they could be getting into right now. What if they're in trouble?"

"Pidge is smart." Allura smiled. "And so is Keith. Hunk is cautious, and Lance is just one person. He can't wreak too much havoc on all four of them, can he?"

"Lance isn't an idiot." Shiro smiled softly. "But you're right. Maybe they need this."

Allura squeezed the top of his metallic hand. "They have a wise father, like I did."

Shiro laughed it off, but the skin around his scar turned pink. "You may be on to something."

"Maybe." Allura sighed, removing her hand. "Now. I've finished the pep talk. Let's go rescue those idiots before they get themselves killed."

Shiro's eyes widened. "What?" 

"Quick, before Coran gets back!" She grabbed her space helmet, running toward the pod-bay doors. "Come on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short, but I didn't want to divert from the main story too much. The next chapter will definitely be longer. I hope you guys enjoy! Please feel free to leave any feedback you deem necessary.


	4. Blue Oceans

Amir led the Paladins into a room with a dozen cyropods lining the walls. A curtain surrounded each one in use, and an IV accompanied each pod. 

"All right." Amir clapped her tiny hands together. "Everybody strip!"

"Wait a second," Pidge started. She looked at Keith. "I thought we weren't doing any—"

Lance jumped to the front of the group elegantly. "To my boxers?" He ripped off his shirt and pants in one foul swoop, exposing his tanned, skinny body, shooting a wink at the fairy.

Amir laughed. "Yes! Feel free to leave on your undergarments, but you probably don't want to get all your clothes wet."

Keith and Pidge stared, jaws slack at partly-nude Lance. 

"What?" he asked. 

Hunk frowned. "Okay. I think I might just leave my clothes on, thank you very much."

"No problem!" Amir darted about the room, preparing the IVs. 

Keith hesitantly removed his jacket. 

"You're just okay with this?" Pidge hissed to Keith. 

Keith looked down at the Green Paladin. He shrugged. "I don't know. Seems pretty legit, I guess. If everyone else wants to do it. Hunk?"

Hunk was busy removing his boots. "Huh?"

"Are you okay with this?" 

"I don't know, I mean, I want to go back home. Is that so bad?" 

Keith glanced down at Pidge, who was clearly unsure, but definitely torn. After a small pause, she removed her glasses. 

"All right," she said. "Let's do this."

"Yes!" Lance smiled at Keith. "I think it'll be fun."

"Yeah, maybe." Keith kicked off his boots next, followed by his jeans. He left his shirt and boxers on. 

Amir fluttered back. "Great! I just need you guys to put these on so you can breathe when I fill the tanks." She handed each Paladin a mask. "Also, it might be a little scary at first, but the pods are designed to be sound proof for a reason. You'll need to block any present-time distractions that will try to break the connection to the astral plane." 

Lance glanced at Pidge and Hunk, who both shrugged. 

"Ready?" Amir asked. 

Hesitantly, the four each stepped into their own pod, masks over their faces. Amir went to Lance first with the IV. "This is how the serum is injected." She picked up his arm, sticking the needle in his wrist. He jumped a bit, but held his cool. 

Amir beamed. "See? Easy-peasy." The IV wire fit over the top of the pod, connecting to a stand right next to it. Amir then shut the door on Lance to demonstrate, sealing him into the Pod. "All you have to do is close your eyes and let your subconscious take you wherever you want," Amir said to everybody else. 

Lance's eyes were wide, and Keith could see his lips moving, but heard nothing. The thought gave him an inkling of hesitation. 

Setting Pidge up in the pod, she spoke before Amir sealed the door. "So, we can't exactly pick our specific destination?"

Amir frowned. "You can think about it really hard, and I'm sure it'll come to you." She shut the door before Pidge could say anything else. 

Hunk was next. "I don't really like needles . . ." 

"You barely feel it." Amir stuck him without a further thought, shutting the pod. 

Last was Keith. "What exactly is in this serum of yours?" he asked.

Amir shrugged with a smile. "Trade secret." She pierced the skin of Keith's wrist with the needle, taping it down. 

"How will we know our appointment is up?"

Amir dusted her hands. "I have a timer." She shut the door right then, and Keith could hear his own elevated breaths due to the mask around his face. 

From inside the tank, Keith watched Amir flutter to a lever at the wall. Pushing it down, faucets burst on at his feet. Yellow-tinted liquid flowed quickly, filling the tank to his waist in seconds. His breathing remained heavy as he watched his friends' pods all fill as well. 

The water was really warm. It filled to his neck and then his face. It felt like he was floating in space. 

Looking down at his wrist, he watched the serum flow through the tube and right into his body. Immediately, his eyes felt heavy. The warmth was too much. He closed his eyes in time to see Amir closing the curtains around his pod, bathing it in total darkness. 

 

In between shades of black, Lance could hear the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. Excited voices rose up around him, and with a bit of muted concentration, Lance opened his eyes. He was immediately overwhelmed by blue. The smell of fish and salt washed over him as seawater licked at his sand-covered feet. There was a point where the sky and the sea stretched so far out, that the clouds intermingled with sea foam at the ocean top. 

He was back home. He was staring face to face with Veradero. 

"Tìo!" 

Lance whipped around in time to catch two leaping nephews of his, Anton and Kosmos. They were so large, that they nearly toppled him into the waves. 

"Hey! I'm so happy to see you guys!" Lance said, squeezing them. They smelled like his older sister, Charo—cloves and sunshine. When he set them down, he realized that they were squeezing a bunch of flowers tightly in their fists. 

"Feliz cumpleaños, tìo Lance," said Kosmos. Both boys handed Lance the flowers shyly. 

It was his birthday? 

"Gracias, you two. But I didn't realize it was my—" Looking past the two, Lance realized that the sandy shore lead to a familiar, two-story beach house. As he well knew, it was much too small to encompass his entire extended family. Therefore, the beach leading up to it was crowded with easily recognizable faces. 

"Mom and papá. They must be up there," Lance said.

Kosmos grabbed Anton's hand. "Sì, Abuela Christie is gonna cut the cake soon, I think. I'm so hungry. Let's go, Anton!" The two took off toward the house, and Lance watched after them. He wanted to follow, but for whatever reason, his feet wouldn't leave the shore. 

"What the heck?" He tried dancing around, but he couldn't make it any further toward the dry sand. 

Looking down at the little flowers in his hand, he wondered if this was all a dream. It sure felt real. Definitely looked real and smelled real, but there was a part of him that questioned the cool feeling of sand and water between his toes. 

"Hey, there, sailor. Looks like you finally made your way back."

It was Samantha, his eldest sister. She was tall and paper thin, just like he was, but her skin was fair like their mother's. 

"How long have I been gone?" Lance asked. He started to worry. Did they think that he'd abandoned them?

Sam readjusted her tiny spectacles. "I don't know. Does it really matter? You're back now." She pulled him into a hug, and Lance reluctantly sank into it. 

"I've missed you all so much," he said. 

"Lance, you're acting like you haven't seen us in years. We're always here, you know. Even when you can't see us." 

Lance pulled away from the hug with an embarrassed smile. "I don't know. I was starting to think that you guys were gonna hate me or something."

Sam chuckled. She rarely laughed. "I hate everyone."

"You don't hate Abuela Rosie when she's buying you seashells and sandollars." Lance elbowed his sister. "And you don't hate me?"

"You're right." Sam crossed her arms. "I don't hate Grandma."

Lance kicked up some wet sand at his sister, and the two wrestled like the old times. The fight ended when Sam got seaweed stuck in her hair and Lance nearly got a black eye from the heel of Sam's foot. 

Sam stomped away, swearing under her breath, and Lance was about ready to follow her up when a new voice distracted him. 

"Lance, it's me." 

Lance looked around and saw no one. "Wha?"

"Down here," it snapped, and then giggled in a tinkle. 

Confused, Lance looked down at the ocean, and saw a pretty head bobbing in the waves. It was a familiar face, with teal-tinted skin and deep, sea blue eyes. 

"Plaxum?" Lance asked. 

"Let's go for a swim! I brought an old friend . . ." 

Her voice had a delicate chime to it, and she bobbed beneath the surface before returning with an even more familiar face.

"Is that Jelly?" Lance's eyes sparkled at the sight of his old, brain-wave-protecting friend. 

Plaxum laughed again. "Let's go!"


	5. Code

As the liquid rose over Pidge's head, she touched the glass of the pod, watching Hunk's fill up next to hers and Keith step into his. Her wrist hurt as the serum flooded into her veins. 

_Wait._

The pod was going black. 

_Wait, no._

Her arm floated down to her side, and her eyes fell closed. 

Pidge woke up in a top bunk. She jolted upright, looking around at the slate-colored walls and glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling. Glancing over the edge of the bed, she saw a couple tanned legs sticking out from the bottom bunk. Hunk was lounging in the twin bed across the room, tongue out as he rapidly clicked buttons on his DS.

She was back at the Garrison? 

Hunk briefly glanced over in her direction. "Oh hey, Pidge. Did we wake you?"

Pidge pulled the blankets aside and climbed down the bunk. She bumped into Lance's legs on her way to the dresser. 

"Hey!" Lance kicked at the blankets, scooting farther into the bunk. "I almost fell!"

Pidge didn't pay too much attention to the voices of her friends. She had to find her family. 

"Are you going out?" Hunk asked. His eyes flickered back and forth between her and the DS screen. 

Pidge grabbed her jacket. "I'll be back."

"Wait! Curfew ended over an hour ago. If they catch you—"

"Ah, let him go, Hunk," Lance said. "He's probably just gonna try and sneak into the Ladies' dorm. Am I right, Pidge?" 

Pidge rolled her eyes. She was about to leave, but her curiosity was too much to ignore. Turning around to face the two gaming boys, she put her hands on her hips. 

"I am a girl, Lance." She tossed him a pad from her satchel. 

Lance sat up too quickly, head smacking the top of the bunk. His jaw and DS fell to the floor. "WHAT?"

Pidge took off down the darkened halls. If her calculations were correct, and Hunk was correct, an hour after curfew meant that it was a little past midnight. The RA's curfew was twelve-thirty am, although his dorm was at the end of the hall. If she used the exit door, an alarm in the RA's room would go off, and she could be caught. 

But Pidge had matured since her time in the Garrison. Sneaking out of school couldn't be any harder than sneaking into and out of a heavily guarded Galra ship, right? 

Pidge stopped at the exit. There was a card swipe where teachers and security could enter and exit without an alarm. Taking her pickpocket from the satchel, she unscrewed the bolts holding the front of the swiper in place. It fell apart in her hands, exposed wires following the largest chunk. All she had to do was disconnect the alarm to the door panel so she could exit in silence. 

"There," she said aloud. She pried the mini-tweezers out next, snipping a small wire. A tiny, glowing compartment dimmed. The alarm was de-activated.

She silently fist-pumped. Reattaching the panel, she pushed through the door, and down the stairs to the lower level. Multiple cameras surveyed each floor as well as the staircase, but Gerald always fell asleep at around eight pm. Pidge would go unnoticed. 

On the ground floor, Pidge pushed through the door leading into the lobby. Most of the lights were all out, except for a few that remained on twenty-four/seven. She slid by Iverson's office toward the exit, but a voice stopped her dead in her tracks. 

"Katie."

She whipped around. Her eyes covered the dark, carpeted halls to where she'd left the open space of the lobby. She saw no one. 

"Katie. Can you hear me?"

"Matt?" Pidge looked around frantically, backtracking from where she'd just come. As she passed Iverson's office, the voice sounded louder. 

"In here."

Pidge faced the door. It was cracked open. Pushing inside, she turned on the light, and shut the door behind her. "Matt?" 

Iverson's computer screen flickered on, full of white noise until a voice came through clearly. "Katie! It's so good to hear your voice."

Pidge slammed down on the desk chair, sliding toward the computer, and attempting to make it cooperate. None of the buttons worked in the way they should. "Matt, where are you? How are you communicating with me right now?" 

"That's not important. I need your help, sister." 

"How?"

"I need you to—" The crackling white noise overtook his voice. "—meet me there."

"Where?" Pidge looked down at the keyboard, trying to override the static. 

White noise answered her. 

"Matt?" 

Her brother's voice could be heard, but it was unintelligible. "—help—now I'm here, but—Mom—"

"Mom? What happened to Mom?" 

"She's—could save her—"

"What?" 

"Open—screen—ISP 1007—need you to—signal—"

Pidge started typing immediately. And to her surprise, she was able to open a pop up. The signal was heavily encrypted. It could take her hours to crack it. But she couldn't give up hope. 

"Katie—help—"

"I'm working, Matt. I'll break the code. I promise."

"Thank you . . . Katie."

 

"Rude," Hunk muttered after Amir had closed the pod on him. His wrist hurt badly. He looked down at it, and his stomach swirled just at the thought of the needle beneath his skin. He had to look away. 

With a splash, water started filling up the tank. His forehead was sweating. He was starting to think that maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. 

"Hey, Keith," he tried. But the Red Paladin was already locked in his own tank. "Pidge?" Pidge was already submerged, but her eyes locked onto his from the other pod. She placed a hand on the glass. There was panic in her eyes, too. 

"Oh no. I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it," he muttered. The water was really warm. It passed his hips, and it felt like he was wading in a kiddie-pool full of pee. Even the water was yellow-tinted.

His stomach growled again, and he burped. This time, he thought for sure he was going to be sick. 

"Guys . . ." He touched the hardened glass, water spilling over his chest to his throat. He glanced at Pidge again, but her golden eyes were closed now. She was completely knocked out. 

Hunk started to panic. 

What if the breathing machine didn't work? What if he tried to take a breath of air, and his lungs filled with water instead? What if his pod started malfunctioning and no one noticed? What if he died? What if all his friends started dying, and he couldn't do anything about it? What if they were trapped forever? No one could form Voltron. Even if Allura and Coran could pilot some lions, who would pilot the rest of them? Would Yellow hate him? What if Yellow was angry right now? Shiro was probably angry. Or lonely. Hunk hated it when Shiro looked lonely. Almost as much as he hated the idea of someone else piloting the Yellow Lion. Hunk was the left leg. Always. Yellow was _his_ lion. 

Hunk squeezed his eyes closed, and half expected to die instantaneously when the water passed his mouth. But he didn't. In fact, he started to breathe more calmly. 

He trusted his friends. If anything happened, he knew they would figure it out. He just had to stay sharp. He had to stay focused and attentive and perceptive, until it was time to join his friends and fight the never-ending battle between good vs evil. 

He fell asleep. 

When he woke up, he was back at the Space Mall, halfway through frying some meat for Vrepit Sal's. 

"Oh quiznak," he said.


	7. Impulse

Keith was driving. He knew this, as he jerked awake and swerved around the road. 

"Whoa, there. You trying to kill us both?" 

Lance was sitting in the passenger seat, chair rolled back and feet up on the dash.

Keith looked back and forth between the road and his friend. "Lance? Wait, where are we going?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Uh." Keith felt his cheeks heat up. "I guess I blacked out for a second."

"Just keep your eyes on the road, mullet."

Keith internally cringed at the nickname Lance often resorted to. But when he glanced over at the Blue Paladin, there was tranquility in his facial features. His dark brown hair ruffled in the breeze from the Jeep, and he smiled softly at the road ahead of him. 

Keith swallowed. He was sweating a little bit. Of all the places he wanted to see, why was he here? Then, he noticed it. In the crimson color of the setting sun, the dust blowing in their wake, and the trees that were slowly thinning. He was heading home. At least, to his old shack. But with Lance?

Lance shifted in his seat. "Hey, are you okay? You look a little . . ." He paused. "Busy."

"I am driving."

"No, I mean, in that dark and mysterious head of yours."

Keith blushed. Why was Lance talking like that? Was it a joke? "At least I have something going on in my head."

That was a mistake. 

Lance's blue eyes widened briefly. He turned away. "Oh, yeah. Heh, I guess so." 

Keith was even more confused. Lance and him usually bickered. Maybe it hadn't been a joke? "I'm sorry, Lance. I didn't mean that. It was just a joke."

"No, yeah, I get it. I'm an idiot. That's a super original and funny joke. Thanks, Keith."

"You did call me 'mullet'." 

"I deserved it then."

Now they were arguing. 

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Keith took a deep breath. He could almost feel Shiro criticizing him from wherever he was. 

"Lance, I'm sorry."

Lance laughed. "I'm just kidding, it's totally fine."

Again, Keith was confused. He couldn't get a grip on him. Lance was always an anomaly to Keith. It was part of the reason that he liked him so much. Lance was always a surprise.

Keith put on the brake, and pulled off to the side of the road. 

Lance bolted upright. "Are we turning around?"

"No! No." At least, Keith didn't think so. "No, I-I wanted to tell you I'm serious. I'm sorry. You're not an idiot. And, I do have a mullet, so saying that the two comments were equal is unfair."

Lance gazed out the window. He feigned wiping a signal tear out of his eye. "I'll never get over that mullet of yours."

"Hey!" Keith turned furious red. "I like it! It's cool. Okay?"

"Okay." Lance smiled. 

A beat of silence passed. Lance was staring at him. Keith was staring back. The moment felt a lot longer than it really was. 

"Okay," Keith said finally. He turned back to the wheel. "Should we keep going, then?"

The two drove in almost complete silence. Lance played some songs from his iPod at a couple times. The sun sank even lower till purple shades were visible. At that point, past some tall cacti and more desert, Keith caught site of the familiar shack of his. 

"I've only been here once," Lance said. "Right before we found Blue."

"Yeah. It feels like so long ago."

"I'm glad we're coming back. I'm glad you decided to bring me with you."

Keith nodded, but deep down, he wanted to ask why. Why had he chosen to bring Lance, of all people? 

When Keith finally parked out front, he let the ignition and radio die. For the first time, he realized, they actually were in total silence. 

"So, no water for miles, right?" Lance asked. 

Keith scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I have a pump, but you won't exactly find a lake hanging out anywhere."

"Nice."

"Yeah."

Lance looked down at his legs. "Do you get cold water, or is it always hot?"

"Cold. It can be cold, if you want it."

"I like it hot.” 

Keith blushed. He felt his entire body go rigid. 

"Showers, I mean." Lance laughed and rubbed his neck. "Hot showers are the best, am I right?"

Was Lance staying? How long? Wait, how long did the astral plane last? Amir had said an hour, but what did that mean while in the pod? 

Keith looked down at his hands. Everything felt so . . . Real. Could he even be sure he was in the pod anymore? He felt thirsty. His hands were sweaty. 

"Are you okay?" Lance's voice was incredibly soft. It made Keith even antsier. The car felt too warm. Too tight. He couldn't breathe. 

In a burst of movement, Keith kicked open his car door, and slammed it behind him. He stood outside, breathing deeply, running both hands through his dark, sweaty hair. Sounds returned. Desert sounds. He inhaled, and it tasted dry and familiar. The sun finally sank, and above his head, without street lamps or light, a million stars unfolded before him. 

"Keith, do you hate me?" 

Lance was standing by the car. Keith hadn't noticed. The stars and sounds overwhelmed him. He was home. In that moment, he was no longer the Red Paladin, or a part of Voltron, or a legendary defender of the universe. He was just Keith. Back home. 

"Keith?"

Keith turned around. "Have you ever seen stars like this? There are so many."

"Well, we do work in space . . ."

"Look! That's Orion's Belt." He took a step closer to Lance to show him. "See it?"

"That curvy thing?"

"It's a belt." Keith smiled. "My dad showed me that one. There are others too, but—"

"Keith."

Keith turned. "What?" 

Before he could say anything else, Lance cupped Keith's face with his hands, and pressed his lips against the Red Paladin's. 

Keith's eyes went wide, while Lance's were tightly closed. After a second transpired, Lance let go and stood back, eyes a darker blue than Keith had ever seen. It reminded him of the color of the night sky. 

"I’m sorry, I—"

Keith cut him off. Charging forward, he closed his eyes and kissed Lance, harder than before. Lance stumbled backwards until his back struck the Jeep. The kiss got deeper, and Keith's fingers ran through Lance's soft hair. He pressed his body against the Blue Paladin, trapping him against the car. Distantly, he felt Lance's arms wrap around his waist, but Keith's mind was fuzzy. 

Finally, Lance pulled away. His lips were lightly bruised. His voice was breathless. "Do you . . . Want to go inside?"

Keith stared at his friend. His heart was pounding. He observed the way Lance was leaning against the car, arms open and hips facing Keith. Lance's eyes were dark and half-closed, dazed. Darkly, everything Keith ever dreamed of was right in front of him. Yet . . . His heart felt heavier than he wanted it to. The way Lance looked at him. It was sexy and lustful, but . . . Not Lance. The boy before him was exciting and familiar in every sense of those words, but it wasn't the real Lance. 

"Lance, why are we here?"

Lance frowned, tilting his head. "Because you wanted to be?"

"When? When did I say that?" 

"Um." Lance looked down at the ground. "I don't know."

"Where's Shiro? Or Pidge, or Hunk? This isn't real."

"Are you saying that this . . ." Lance gestured at Keith and then him. "Isn't real? Your feelings aren't real?"

"No." Keith gritted his teeth. "My feelings are very real. But you . . . You're just my imagination."

"Are you saying I'm fake?" There was so much hurt in Lance's eyes. Keith could barely stand it. The look alone made his chest constrict. 

"You're a figment of my imagination, Lance. The real you is somewhere else." 

Suddenly, Keith doubled over. His head was splitting with pain. 

"Keith?" 

"Stay away!" Keith pushed away Lance's arms. He backed up, grasping his aching skull. "I need to wake up."

"You need to stay here, Keith. This is where you wanted to go. This is where you’re meant to be."

Keith looked up, but he shook his head. "I want to go back," he said. 

"I'll let you have your way with me." Lance got down on his knees in front of Keith. His face went soft again. "I'll let you love me."

Keith's cheeks felt hot. "You're not Lance McClain. You aren't real. I have to go."

"No!" Lance lunged at Keith, tackling him to the ground. The two rolled in dust, until Keith kicked the boy off. When the fake Lance stood back up, Keith slammed his fist into his face. 

The world went black. 

 

Keith woke up this time in total darkness. Breathing hard, he touched the glass to remind himself where he was. He was back in the pod. He was awake, but trapped. 

He hit the glass with his fist. His body felt weightless in the liquid.

Where was Amir?

Silence.

Keith hit harder. In a few minutes, he was banging on the pod glass. 

Nothing.

Keith's heartrate accelerated. He'd made a mistake. He'd led the Paladins here. He may not have been the leader, but he surely was the eldest. The others were his responsibility. 

Keith wanted to cry. He'd failed his friends. 

All of a sudden, the curtain surrounding his pod ripped open. Shiro hit the glass with his fists. His lips were moving, but Keith couldn't hear him. 

Keith tried to yell.

Shiro hit the glass again, but he stopped. His metallic arm glowed purple, and Keith backed away from the door. Rearing back, Shiro slammed his Galra fist at the glass, and water burst from the pod. Keith felt all the liquid flow away until it was down to his knees. He jerked the breathing apparatus from his face. 

"How'd you find us?" Keith asked, breathless.

Shiro ripped the door open. He offered Keith his hand, helping him shakily exit the pod. "You should thank Allura."

There was a hint of agitation in Shiro's voice, but Keith was just relieved to see the Black Paladin. 

Allura interrupted the two, dropping a very defeated Amir at their feet. "Looks like this may have been your problem. Oh, and your over-indulgent, reckless attitude, but I guess the Red Lion never fails to choose a Paladin with zero cowardice and a hundred percent stupidity." Allura put her hands on her hips, leaning against her metal staff. "Hello, Keith."

Amir struggled to her hands and knees, coughing. Her wings buzzed. "You're already too late. I've taken enough quintessence to—"

Allura knocked Amir out. The fairy collapsed to the ground. 

"Are we leaving yet?" Allura asked. 

Shiro and Keith glanced at each other, and Keith knew that Shiro couldn't stay mad. At least, not as mad as their Altean Princess. 

"The others—" Keith stumbled toward the three other curtain-covered pods. "They need our help." 

Shiro strode up next to the Red Paladin. "Can't we just break them out?" 

"I think they need to wake up."

"How?"

Keith pulled Lance's curtain aside, placing a dripping, shivering hand on the glass that separated him from his friend. "Somehow. Like I did."


End file.
